Anger: The Unauthorized Biography of Kenneth Anger

by Bill Landis

A biography of the cult filmmaker and author of the best-selling "Hollywood Babylon" books traces his role in the underground film movement, the gay movement, and the drug culture of the forties through the sixties. National ad/promo.

Genres: Film, Biography, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir

Hardcover

First published July 1, 1995

Reviews

[Matthew W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although best known for his sadistic artsy tabloid-like Hollywood history book "Hollywood Babylon," Kenneth Anger also happens to be one of the greatest auteur filmmakers America has ever produced. Inspired by filmmakers as diverse as French surrealist poet Jean Cocteau and Soviet montage propagandist Sergei Eisenstein, Kenneth Anger was able to create an auteur signature that has been known to hypnotize audiences. I know that he is one of my personal favorite directors. Mainstream directors like Martin Scorsese have openly admitted that Kenneth Anger was a huge influence on their own brand of filmmaking, yet Mr. Anger is far from a household name.

Kenneth Anger also happened to be an Occultist who followed in the footsteps of Aleister Crowley, on top of being friends with Anton LaVey. Anger also happened to use Manson Family killer Bobby Beausoleil as an actor and songwriter for his films. Kenneth Anger also worked with Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones and attempted a creative relationships with a very drugged out Jimmy Page. One ccould say that Kenneth Anger has managed to engulf himself in all the "Dark" areas of pop culture, but this comes as no surprise when finding out the personal details on Anger's angry life in "Anger: The Unauthorized Biography of Kenneth Anger."

Anger was so Angry with the unauthorized biography written about him that he put a Magick (emphasis on the Crowley spelling) curse on it's author Bill Landis. "Anger: The Unauthorized Biography of Kenneth Anger" is not so much a anti-Anger bio, but a honest objective (as objective as they get) biography that details both Anger's flaws and strengths. The biography makes it very clear that Kenneth Anger is a man known for burning many bridges, something he has done his whole life. This started with his family and continued with basically every other relationship Anger had throughout his life.

For those that cannot look past the "Anger Mythos" and realize Kenneth Anger really is a flawed human being, this may be an offensive biography. For those that want an honest account of Kenneth Anger's life, this is the book to read. My only complaint is that it is fairly short, but with a secretive man like Kenneth Anger, that is to be expected.

[Ryan Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated this book since I was starved for anything written about Kenneth Anger. It is not a glamorous or flattering portrait of him and lacks details about his occult practices. I hope more thorough and researched books come out. But I know that will be hard since he guards both his myth and his archives closely.

[Tosh · Rating 2 out of 5]

A biography on Kenneth Anger and his films would be magnificent, but this bio is not it. The book is not bad, but I feel that it doesn't capture the big picture of Anger's creative and social world.

It would be nice if there was another bio out there on this flimtastic genius.

[Flora · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely adore Kenneth Anger, but this book was disappointing. Read Zachary Lazar's "Sway": it's a novel, but it gets the cult of Anger better than anyone I've read. *And* it's wonderful.

[Declan Cochran · Rating 3 out of 5]

in unsurprising news, kenneth anger was/is a bit of a dickhead, and a tragic one at that

[Cleo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vague at times (makes sense given who Anger is) and like any writing about him ties him too much to Manson & Crowley. But whatever it was fine.

[Billypal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Depressing; gossip

[Thomas Lampion · Rating 1 out of 5]

of course, more literature concerning the films of kenneth anger will always be duly needed. this, however is a book any canon could do without. is it a case of there just not being enough information on the infamously private anger? will a better book appear on his life posthumously? has the time past for any of his colleagues to speak out? one things for sure, they didn't come out in droves for landis, and he makes concessions with long, monotonous descriptions of his films, obviously writing to a pre you tube generation or to fans of anger with temporary amnesia. his knowledge of underground film also comes off as strictly primary stuff, failing to go in depth and lecturing to a choir who probably knows enough to pick up a book on anger in the first place. i certainly hope that black magic savvy anger hexed this mediocre writer after this books publication.